XS650 Build tips and Resouces
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- This is the link to the "Building a better twin" article sense.net//~bla...
This is a great resource but read it carefully. Also I got 90% or more of my parts from Mike's XS here is a link
www.mikesxs.net/
Hugh over at Hugh's Hand built has some great info check his site out. www.hughshandbu...
After you have read the Building a Better Twin article you'll want a link to Kibble Precision this is where I bought my 1mm oversized valves. www.kpmi.us/
Thanks for checking my channel out hit me up with any questions and Don't forget to subscribe.
Thank you man I really needed this
Nice job on the bike and video, I have just started to restore my 79 XS special and would love to see how you did your seat and the electrics underneath.
That building a better twin is a great article, I think I still have the original paper copy somewhere.
Very very good video, and very beautiful machine!! Bravos
I would like to mention two more things, the charging systems on there bikes are typically weak. They sell a PMA (permanent magnet) type of retrofit that works great, but they are salty (Mikes XS sells them). The OEM charging system utilizes 12 volt brushes that ride on the rotor and have to be checked / replaced quite often and the bike will not start without a battery or a good charge on one that is in it. The charging rotors also have a high failure rate. Also, since you now are going to have even more horsepower than a stock engine, I would like to suggest getting high performance (stronger) clutch springs (they are fortunately cheap). I installed new clutch plates in mine and found that under high acceleration the clutch slipped slightly, the stronger springs eliminated the slip and gave just a slightly harder pull at the clutch lever, but not that noticeable. These engines are not real high horsepower, but they do have good torque (they used to use stock bikes for flat track racing years ago). Anyway - hope this helps!
I am running a PMA. Mistake I made there was I bought the PMA kit from Hugh's and my pamco ignition from Mikes XS. Which ended up costing a significant amount more than if I had just bought the complete kit from Mike's XS. Clutch springs are the performance set from Mikes XS. That did make clutch pull a lot stiffer. Hoping they break in a bit. I replaced plates with stock plates. Top end has performance cam and springs running 1 mm over valves on intake and exhaust. Valves from Kibble and new seals there too. I have been able to start her up but my spare tank only has one petcock so cant finish tuning till I get paint back. Rebuilt and lapped petcocks so those are smooth and silky. Sounds awesome even not dialed in on tuning yet. Just hoping when shes done I can find some time to ride. I'm coming from a roadking to an XS650. My roadking was a phase I'm excited to get on the 650. My first road bike was a 78 KZ750 twin that I kick myself for ever selling. I enjoyed that bike over all the others I ever owned. So hoping the 650 fills the void. All my spare money fell off the tree so its taking lil longer than hoped. I wanted a cafe with almost stock 70's look not too over done. If money was endless I would do another and another...
That`s great! I really think you are going to love riding it - I love riding mine! I have several other bikes (Hayabusa, ZRX 1100, KZ1000, KZ750, Suzuki GS1000 (2 of them), Suzuki GS1150, and a few more bikes, and I still ride the ole xs`s! I bought one bike a year for over 30 years (it`s all my wife would allow - and all my garage would hold) LOL! I wish the best of luck for you!
Thanks Mike I have some time tonight to do another quick video. I want to post a link to the guy who made the seat/cowling too.
Looks good! I use to have a 78 XS650 Special.
Thanks! It's a blast to ride. For quick lil rips.
Great job!👍🏼
your bike looks good!
You will most likely run into problems with having pod filters on it. It might run OK with the proper jetting sitting still, but when you actually ride it, any cross wind or even the air rushing past the carburetors (causing a vacuum effect) will make it run improperly. The CV carbs have a half moon shaped cut out on the top at the intake side, which raises the vacuum diaphragms (and thus the needle in the main jet) when accelerating and they are designed to have the stock intake boots and air box installed for proper air flow. Pods work good with non CV type of carburetors (cable actuated slide), but not so much with constant velocity types.
I didn't give that any thought. Makes sense though. That could be expensive to work around. Stock air box is not an option at this point. Still waiting for parts to come back from paint. Thanks for your insight will save me some head scratching in the future.
Hopefully it won`t have any issues. They are great bikes (I own 3 of them) and they are a joy to ride! It takes me back to my youth! Good luck and great job on the bike!
Hey dude, your bike looks beautiful! Nice work on everything. Wondering, did you powder coat the front brake caliper?
Nope just just sandblasted it and used brake caliper paint front NAPA. Had to bake them in oven so just did that when wife wasn't home.
I bought a 1981 xs650 H in 2010 and went through everything. Same bike I owned in high school back in 83' the pamco ignition is still running great. So how did you get those engine case covers looking so amazing?
I bought this bike from an impound auction for $550 bucks sight unseen. It only had 9800 miles on it. When I saw how clean the chrome was I was amazed. So short of the long didn't have to do anything to the cases. That's just 42 years of patina. Bikes running good got first 30 miles on it got a lil flat spot it's running slightly lean. Got some larger jets coming hope that does the trick.
@@todaystopic3527 I was just looking at your latest update for the XS.. looks awesome! wondering if you synced the carbs using the tube with transmission fluid in it connected to the intake barbs? also, where do those tubes on the intake barbs lead to? Mine are just capped off...
@@micjam1986 So that's a funny story. I tried the tube idea with some spindle oil in it and as I was adjusting the oil got sucked into the carb an smoked out the whole freaking neighborhood 😂 anyway I tuned it by ear from there on. It's pretty close. Those vacuum lines run to the petcocks. So if yours are capped off you probably have aftermarket petcocks that don't require vacuum and/or your not running the stock CV carbs. I'm running BS38 carbs.